Hong Kong: Day 23 (con’t)

June 19, 2015 by Let's CUT the Crap! 44 Comments

The driver burned more stinky gas turning his ferry (40 – 49 capacity) out of its parking slot at Tai Pak Marina in Aberdeen than the amount it took to get to the floating Cantonese restaurant. I expected the restaurant to rock, but it was solid as one on dry land. The huge open space hummed like a beehive and didn’t feel like a ship. The male servers wore microphones with coiled phone wire tucked behind their ear like secret servicemen in the movies. We’d heard Cantonese people like to eat out and this being Easter weekend proved it. Every table was filled. I counted 36 tables and each appeared to be set up for 10 guests. We were served on the third floor.

Lunch:

• Sweet and sour sauce
• Chili pepper sauce
• Soy sauce
• Steamed shrimp in rice paper (rubbery)
• Shrimp wontons
• Steamed fish balls
• Pork balls with cabbage (?) (tasty)
• Steamed sweet dough wrapped pork (?)
• Noodles with curry shrimp, green peppers and egg
• Fried rice with shrimp peas, corn and green onions on noodles with ginger
• Jasmine tea
• Coconut Jello (but not clear like Jello

This was a long affair from 12:55 to 2:10 p.m. When we arrived, we waited longer than usual for the food to arrive. Again, everyone in the restaurant had the same food. I thought I was smart when one of the ladies wanted more tea, but couldn’t catch the server’s attention. I lifted the teapot lid and replaced it at an angle, not quite fitted into the opening. Another of our group waved the waiter down to ask for more tea and he showed her the same thing I had ‘invented’. Am I brilliant or what?! I have no clue how I came by this idea.

 

After lunch, a last stab effort at our lined tourist pockets: a surprise visit to Dynasty Jewelry Manufacturers: the presentation in French only. Right. Though the pieces were magnificent, who walks around with the kind of money for such purchases without forethought?  Bored, I wandered around shadowed by a clerk who didn’t even pretend he wasn’t stalking following me. I’m not sure anyone in the French Group purchased anything.

© Used by permission of RJ, a member of English 8. All Rights Reserved.

 

© Used by permission of RJ, a member of English 8. All Rights Reserved.

Next we climbed a steep, serpentine road to Victoria Peak. I held my breath as another bus passed us traveling in the opposite direction, grateful we were on the inside lane. We passed breathless views for perfect picture-taking but no stopping was allowed. From the bus, the city appeared like a miniature, model city.

 

Our destination: The Peak for picture taking and The Peak Galleria (the mall). We had to go inside and up escalators to the third floor, then outside to the peak for a spectacular view and for pictures. Because of the distance, my photos were small. With more time to kill, I checked out the mall. Actors dressed as rabbits put on a show for shoppers’ children, this being Easter Saturday. I wandered into a drugstore and bought nail polish for our last dress-up dinner later. Two tiny bottles (about half the size we usually see at home) cost a grand total of $2.00 total.

© 2015Tess @ How the Cookie Crumbles. All Rights Reserved

Quick Facts

• 1,800 square foot = luxury apartment
• Condos at Repulse Bay under $20,000 USD per month
• Visiting Businessmen are put up in these type condos
• Usual apartment rent around $1,300 USD
• If cannot pay, government subsidizes at $300 USD per month
• Long wait to get subsidized apartment: 4 to 5 years
• A car traveling to Hong Kong has two license plates: one for Hong Kong and one for China
• No casino allowed in Hong Kong
• If one travels to Macau, must return home 5:00 p.m. like from work
• Hong Kong 93% Chinese + Pakistani Indian
• Has 272 islands
• West Hong Kong is new
• 150,000 immigrants arrive every day
• Have many, and mostly Taoist, temples

© 2015Tess @ How the Cookie Crumbles. All Rights Reserved

 

Dinner choices made by members of English Eight at Italian restaurant (paid out of pocket)

• Risotto
• Pizza
• Lamb
• Fettucine Bolognese
• Linguine with clams
• Octopus Ink sauce (for pasta)
• Octopus Ink dinner rolls

Insert Image #788 (last dinner English Eight)

© 2015Tess @ How the Cookie Crumbles. All Rights Reserved

Additional information about Hong Kong.

Taken by Jacek Zarzycki

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Next on June 26^th – Packing Up and Homeward Bound

For more related posts, click on China tab at the top of the page

 

© 2015Tess @ How the Cookie Crumbles. All Rights Reserved.